


Olives

by OdeToPedrazar (MyPrivateLaughter)



Series: Five Friends and Francis [12]
Category: Nothing Much to Do
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-12
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-07 06:42:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3165137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyPrivateLaughter/pseuds/OdeToPedrazar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Glasgow</i><br/>Hero realises something about the way Pedro is eating olives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Olives

The next night was spent with another cousin of Benedick’s, Ally’s sister Sarah. Sarah was basically a younger, more energetic version of Ally and she was studying at Glasgow Uni. She’d agreed to let them all crash in her halls of residence. At the moment though, they were at her local, squeezed around a tall table with bar stools, trying to talk over the noise of a band playing in the corner.

“I’m sorry. My friends the guitarist and he’d be really mad if I didn’t come,” Ally explained in a loud voice that they could hardly hear.

“They’re good!” said Pedro. The band comprised of two guys playing the guitar and bass, and two girls, one on the drums and one singing. Their sound was somewhere on the spectrum between pop folk and 90s Brit pop.

Hero leaned sideways to get a better look at them. “Your friend is the guitarist?”

“Are you aware that he is really attractive?” Beatrice asked.

Sarah laughed at them both. “Yeah, he is, isn’t he? He’s super gay though so not exactly my type.”

Balthazar glanced up to find Beatrice, Hero and Benedick all looking at him expectantly and Pedro frowning at a bowl of olives in the middle of the table. He rolled his eyes.

“We also have a super gay guitarist friend!” Beatrice cried, indicating towards Balthazar like a model would on a prize show. “What a _coincidence_.”

“No way!” Sarah leaned across the table to Balthazar and said, “I can introduce you if you want.”

Balthazar's eyes flitted involuntarily over to Pedro, but he was preoccupied by his sudden fascination with the olives. “Nah, nah,” Balthazar responded. “It’s fine.”

“Oh, come on! You’ve got to!” Beatrice turned to Sarah and explained, “He literally has got to. It’s his resolution to introduce himself to someone every day for this trip.”

“We sort of invented the bi-law that if there’s a hot, gay guy then he must be Balthy’s target!” Benedick said.

“Alright,” Pedro said loudly, “leave him alone if he doesn’t want to.”

“I want to know what everyone else’s resolutions are now,” Sarah said, tactfully moving the conversation along. “Is yours to be less of a prick?” she asked Benedick.

“Yes!” Beatrice laughed. “It actually is! He can’t be snarky to me!”

“To be less of a prick to your girlfriend?” Sarah looked confused and somewhat concerned.

Benedick laughed awkwardly. “No, of course it’s not. Because that would not make sense at all…”

“It’s to stop PDA,” Beatrice decided and then realised what a great idea that was and grinned. “Before we used to be really, you know, all over each other, so the guys said we couldn’t for the whole trip.”

The others were grinning too. “Oh yeah, you should have seen them!” Pedro mimed with his hands rubbing together. “It was disgusting.”

“Alright, I wouldn’t say ‘ _disgusting_ ’,” Benedick said defensively. “I’m sure you learnt a thing or two Pedro!” - And when Balthazar smirked - “And you too, Balthy!”

“So you’re not allowed to hold hands or anything?” Sarah asked.

Beatrice shook her head solemnly. “You have no idea how hard it has been.” Causing Hero to almost choke on her drink.

There was a break in the music and a few of them went to the bar. While they were there, Sarah must have persuaded Balthazar to come with her to chat to her friend, the guitarist. And it was then, when Hero saw Pedro aggressively eating olives, with his eyes fixed on where Balthazar was speaking to the really very good looking guitarist, that she realised what was actually going on. Hero had been so convinced that Balthazar was pining over Pedro that she hadn’t even stopped to notice the fact that Pedro was clearly doing some pretty hardcore pining of his own.

It was only the two of them left at the table so Hero scooted up next to Pedro. “Hey,” she said.

Pedro looked slightly startled, as if he hadn’t realised that there were other people in the room except him, Balthazar and that guy. “Hey, Hero,” he said. “You enjoying the music?”

“Yes, it’s good, isn’t it?”

“Not bad. Glasgow seems like a cool place.”

“I think so,” Hero agreed. “It’s very studenty.”

“Yeah, does seem like it.”

Hero nodded. “Yes. So are you in love with Balthazar?”

Pedro’s reaction was so physical that Hero had to stop herself from laughing. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open like a fish out of water. “Um…” he blinked rapidly and ran a hand through his hair. “What?”

“I just thought that you might want to talk about it. I wouldn’t tell the others.” Hero smiled in what she hoped was a comforting, encouraging sort of way, but Pedro still looked somewhat like someone had pulled a gun on him.

“I don’t… I don’t…” Pedro tried to say. Then he looked over to where Balthazar was chatting, felt his chest tighten, and put his head in his hands. “Oh my god, I’m such a loser.”

Hero gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Yeah…”

“You’re not supposed to agree!” Pedro smiled despite himself.

“Well, I mean, you could always just go and talk to him if you like him.”

“But he’s our friend!”

Hero pulled a face. “I… I don’t really think that’s a problem.”

“I’ve never dated a guy before.”

Hero considered Pedro for a moment. Pedro Donaldson, football captain, student leader, confident, outgoing… She’d never seen anyone look so terrified in her whole life. “I guess it is sort of a big deal,” she admitted.

“It is a big deal,” Pedro confirmed.

“But I still think that that doesn’t mean it’s not worth going for.”

“I know, I know. I just have to be sure I’m not going to fuck it up.” Pedro sighed and looked across the room again. “Ok, that guy is the biggest flirt I’ve ever seen,” he growled. “Can we please just make that stop?”

Hero laughed. “I can think of one way to make it stop!”

“Please don’t say anything to anyone,” Pedro said, suddenly sounding anxious. “Not be Bea, or Ben. I just want to… You know.”

“I won’t but they’ll be fine with this. You know that, right?”

“I know,” Pedro said with a smile. “I just want to work stuff out before I make any big declarations.”

Hero shrugged. “You know, you’re the one who said that I should say more of the negative things that I’m thinking. I’ve just thought of what my negative comment for today.”

Pedro winced. “It’s going to be offensive, isn’t it?”

“Pedro Donaldson,” Hero declared, “I think that you’re being ridiculous.”

“Wow. Hero, that is… _harsh_.”

**Author's Note:**

> ^.^ Hero is so cutting!  
>  _N.B. Edited to remove ableist slurs. Really sorry to anyone who was offended by this. Thank you for calling me out and I will try to be more aware of this in the future._


End file.
